A 26-year-old Louisiana man has been arrested after he allegedly shot dead his former girlfriend inside her Marrero home while her young child was inside the residence.

Shawn Luke Chiasson faces charges of second-degree murder and a charge for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm for the murder of 29-year-old Lindsey Williams. He was taken into custody Monday by the U.S. Marshals from a residence on Allo Avenue in Marrero, NOLA.com reported.

The shooting happened around 9 a.m. Saturday at Williams' home in the 1100 block of Gaudet Drive in Marrero. Though she was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital by deputies of Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Williams died shortly after reaching the hospital.

A spokesperson for Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said the officers "quickly identified Chiasson as the person responsible for the murder." However, they did not provide any details or evidence that connected him to the murder.

According to the victim's cousin Dana Comeaux, Williams’ 11-year-old son, Ashton Williams, was inside the house when she was shot. He, however, did not witness the fatal shooting. "We’re just glad Ashton wasn’t hurt, too," Comeaux said.

Reports say Chiasson has previous arrest records for domestic violence. In 2017, he was arrested for assaulting a pregnant woman. Besides, there is an open case against him for domestic abuse, battery, simple assault, and resisting an officer.

Chiasson was Williams’ former boyfriend and they briefly dated, but were no longer a couple, said Comeaux. She added that the victim had been allowing him to stay with her "until he was able to get on his feet."

"She always wanted to help people,” Comeaux said of her cousin, adding that "she gave everything she had for other people."

After the incident came to light, Comeaux and other members of Williams’ family aided police officers in the search for the accused by putting up "wanted posters" with a picture of Chiasson’s face.

A similar incident happened in May in Colorado where a 6-year-old boy witnessed his father fatally shoot his mother and then turn the gun on himself to take his own life.

Police were called to a home in East Kansas where they found a 40-year-old woman, Sarah Terry Smith, with gunshot wounds. Smith's 49-year-old partner, Robert Terry, was also found dead at the scene from "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."

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Representational image. Pixabay
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